Capsule movie reviews for week of Sept. 10

Chronicle staff report

September 6, 2017

Photo: Associated Press

Harris Dickinson in a scene from

Harris Dickinson in a scene from

Annabelle: Creation There are some genuine jolts in this “Annabelle” prequel(part of the same universe as “The Conjuring” films), which involves six girl orphans and a devilish doll. But a lot of it is standard horror tricks that you can see coming for miles. Rated R. 109 minutes.—W.Addiego

Atomic Blonde Charlize Theron dazzles as a British agent sent to East Berlin in 1989 to recover a missing list of double agents, helped by fellow agent James McAvoy. The hand-to-hand combat comes fast and furious in this colorful, fabulously entertaining, although thinly plotted and sometimes tedious, action film. With this film following “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Theron is now the top action actress in the movies. Rated R. 115 minutes.—G.AllenJohnson

Baby Driver Edgar Wright’s action movie, starring Ansel Elgort as a talented young getaway driver, is propulsive and fun, full of surprises and delights. The gimmick of a very pervasive soundtrack wears a bit, but this is an entertaining genre movie. Rated R. 113 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Beach Rats This bold, masterful character study concerns an aimless 19-year-old in Brooklyn who is struggling with his homosexuality. It’s not the feel-good movie of the year, but it’s one of the most exquisitely haunting LGBT coming-of-age stories ever told. Rated R. 97 minutes.—D.Lewis

The Big Sick Kumail Nanjiani co-wrote (with his wife, Emily V. Gordon) and stars in this romantic comedy, based on his own life, about a romance that is interrupted by the woman’s getting sick and falling into a coma. Funny, unexpected, human and appealing, it features winning performances by Nanjiani and especially Zoe Kazan, who is asleep for most of the film. Rated R. 120 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Birth of the Dragon Intriguing but flawed and fictionalized account of a legendary fight between Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man — at the time, two Bay Area martial arts teachers — and the events that lead up to it. Set in a San Francisco of a long-ago era. Rated PG-13. 95 minutes.—G.AllenJohnson

Columbus This gem of a romantic dramedy, about a translator stuck in a small Indiana town, beautifully illuminates not only the local architecture but also the characters that inhabit it. The film has a quiet wavelength all of its own, but thanks to excellent directing and acting, that wavelength always remains accessible. Not rated. 100 minutes.—D.Lewis

The Dark Tower Based on a series of Stephen King novels, this sci-fi fantasy involves the struggle between light and order on the one hand, and chaos and darkness on the other. But the movie has enough story only for a very good one-hour, one-off TV drama. The concept has resonance, but in the film everything is on the surface. With Idris Elba, Katheryn Winnick and Matthew McConaughey. Rated PG-13. 95 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Detroit Kathryn Bigelow’s account of the 1967 Detroit riot, written by Mark Boal, is exceptionally paced and photographed, with one long, harrowing scene at its center, an imaginative recreation of an event at a hotel, in which a handful of police officers abused and terrorized a group of people. Absolutely riveting (and often maddening) from start to finish. Rated R. 143 minutes.—W.Addiego

Dolores This Peter Bratt documentary about labor leader Dolores Huerta is always solid. But the film soars when it shows the cost of the activist’s dedication, exacerbated by what now can be clearly seen as thick-skulled men. A fitting companion to the Chavez-focused 1997 PBS documentary “The Fight in the Fields.” It also makes a fine double feature with “Wonder Woman. Not rated. 96 minutes.—P.Hartlaub

Dunkirk Christopher Nolan’s career-best film tells the story of World War II’s harrowing Dunkirk evacuation as experienced on land, sea and air. It’s inspired filmmaking from the first frame. Rated PG-13. 107 minutes.—M.LaSalle

The Fencer This feel-good, heart-tugging film is basically an Estonian “Hoosiers” — a true story set in a 1950s small town, a coach with a mysterious past (in this case, with Soviet police on his tail) arrives to shape a rag-tag bunch of kids into tournament contenders. It’s a winner here, too. Not rated. 99 minutes. In Estonian, Russian and Armenian with English subtitles.—G.AllenJohnson

Girls Trip Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and the very funny Tiffany Haddish play college friends who reunite for a wild long weekend in New Orleans. Lovable and often side-splitting, full of outrageous humor and well-conceived comic situations. Rated R. 122 minutes.—M.LaSalle

The Good Catholic Romantic comedy about a small-town priest who meets a complicated and mysterious woman. With Zachary Spicer, Wrenn Schmidt, Danny Glover. Not reviewed. Rated PG-13. 96 minutes.

Good Time This heist drama features a breakout performance by Robert Pattinson and plenty of tense action. Ultimately, it doesn’t add up to much, but there are thrills along the way. Rated R. 100 minutes.—D.Lewis

Gook Set at the time of the Los Angeles riots of 1992, this drama, centered on racial themes, charts the effects of the event on an unexpected trio: two Korean American brothers who run a shoe store, and the 11-year-old black girl who assists them. It’s not an unflawed movie, but writer-director-star Justin Chon manages to keep a nice balance between the personal and the political. Not rated. 94 minutes.—W.Addiego

The Hitman’s Bodyguard This is a pleasing action comedy, starring Samuel L. Jackson, as a hit man who needs to be escorted to the Hague (to testify in court) and the bodyguard assigned to protect him (Ryan Reynolds). Jackson and Reynolds make a good pair, and they get strong comic support by Salma Hayek, as Jackson’s impossibly profane, assertive wife. Rated R. 118 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Home Again Comedy-drama about a single mother who allows three young men to move in with her. With Reese Witherspoon, Nat Wolff, Lake Bell. Rated PG-13. 97 minutes.

I Do ... Until I Don’t Lake Bell’s second feature film as writer-director-star is a feel-good, angst-ridden comedy about a documentary filmmaker who is positing that marriage should only be a seven-year contract with an option to renew, focusing on three couples: Bell and Ed Helms; Paul Reiser and Mary Steenburgen, and Amber Heard and Wyatt Cenac. Rated R. 103 minutes.—G.AllenJohnson

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power Al Gore is back with a compelling update to his 2006 documentary about climate change. The film gives the latest in scientific research while following Gore on his worldwide crusade that includes a decisive visit to Paris during the Paris Agreement negotiations. Rated PG. 98 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Ingrid Goes West Ingrid is an Internet stalker, and she goes West to wangle her way into the life of her latest obsession, an Instagram celebrity. Aubrey Plaza is very funny but also emotionally connected and creepy/sympathetic as Ingrid, in this well-observed comic examination of the effects of social media on actual social life. Rated R. 98 minutes.—M.LaSalle

It Even if it didn’t have the homicidal clown and sink spewing blood and missing children getting yanked into sewers, what remains here would still be an engaging movie. This horror remake based on Stephen Kingâ€™s book is smart and funny and makes great effort to capture not just a time and place, but the specific feelings of being on the verge of adulthood and thinking the world is against you. Rated R. 135 minutes.—P.Hartlaub

The Last Dalai Lama Director Mickey Lemle’s follow-up to his 1991 Dalai Lama documentary shows a Buddhist leader at peace entering his ninth decade, even with so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the position. MVPs in the slow-moving but engaging film include George W. Bush in an interview, and the Lama-inspired musical score by composer Philip Glass and Tenzin Choegyal. Not rated. 90 minutes.—P.Hartlaub

Leap! The Canada-produced film has an appealing core — a sort of animated ballet version of â€œThe Karate Kid,â€ with a young orphan girl who is easy to like. But every other part of the movie seems to be working in concert to sabotage the effort. The slapstick and modern pop music soundtrack distract, but don’t completely ruin “Leap! Rated PG. 89 minutes.—P.Hartlaub

The Little Hours Jeff Baena wrote and directed this very funny comedy about three nuns coping with pent-up anger and sexual frustration in 14th century Europe. Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie and Kate Micucci co-star. Based on Boccaccio’s “Decameron. Rated R. 90 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Logan Lucky It’s good director Steven Soderbergh is back, and it might even be good he got this one out of his system, a tiresome, overlong heist comedy about a pair of brothers who put together a plan to rob NASCAR of its box office take. But you don’t need to see it. Starring Channing Tatum and Adam Driver. Rated PG-13. 119 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Menashe Set in a Brooklyn Hasidic community, this is the moving story of a widower who runs afoul of his ultra-orthodox family and neighbors because of his desire to raise his son as a single dad. It’s a compelling portrayal of a closed society. Rated PG. 82 minutes. In Yiddish with English subtitles.—W.Addiego

The Midwife Catherine Frot is a veteran midwife and Catherine Deneuve is her temperamental opposite, who pops up from out of the past and forces the midwife to confront her long neglected emotional life. It’s a strong film with terrific performances from France’s two great Catherines. Not rated. 117 minutes. In French with English subtitles.—M.LaSalle

Mrs. B, A North Korean Woman Documentary about a North Korean woman involved in human smuggling. Not reviewed. Not rated. 71 minutes. In Korean and Mandarin with English subtitles.

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature This sequel about squirrels trying to save their park from evil politicians seems surgically targeted for parents who have a week left before school starts, and have run out of ideas. The first “Nut Job” tried to set itself apart with noir-ish qualities. The second movie uses non-stop action to distract from its lack of originality. Rated PG. 91 minutes.—P.Hartlaub

Patti Cake$ Danielle Macdonald plays a wannabe rapper living in New Jersey, but absolutely everything is against her. Indeed her life is so utterly dispiriting — almost everyone she knows is incredibly stupid, especially her family — but somehow the movie hangs together and, without compromising any of its honesty, achieves some kind of lift off. Rated R. 108 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World This compelling documentary — must-viewing for rock fans — traces the history of Native American influence on rock ’n’ roll, with plenty of testimony from musical royalty (such as Robbie Robertson of The Band). Includes segments on 10 performers with varying degrees of Indian heritage. Not rated. 103 minutes.—W.Addiego

Spider-Man: Homecoming This is yet another reboot of the “Spider-Man” franchise and the least interesting yet, with Tom Holland in the title role. It’s a routine entry with some half-hearted humanizing elements and lackluster action. Still, it’s reasonably entertaining throughout. Rated PG-13. 134 minutes.—M.LaSalle

The Trip to Spain This is the third installment in the series of foodie travelogues with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon — who play lightly fictionalized versions of themselves — and it’s a return to form after its predecessor, “The Trip to Italy.” The men indulge in the usual banter and celeb impersonations, but more somber notes are sounded, especially regarding the Coogan figure. Not rated. 108 minutes.—W.Addiego

Tulip Fever Drama set during the Dutch tulip mania of the 17th century about an artist who falls in love with a married woman. With Alicia Vikander and Dane DeHaan. Not reviewed. Rated R. 107 minutes.

A Very Sordid Wedding Del Shores’ sequel to 2000’s “Sordid Lives” (also a TV series in 2008) is similarly manic, over-the-top comedy about ever-evolving Latrelle (Bonnie Bedelia) dealing with both her son’s gay marriage and a small-minded preacher’s “Anti-Equality Rally.” Many characters and subplots; rural Texas at its most outrageous. Not rated. 109 minutes.—G.AllenJohnson

The Villainess This revenge saga about a South Korean female assassin is often a chore to follow, but it has impressively shot action sequences. Not for the squeamish. Not rated. 129 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.—D.Lewis

War for the Planet of the Apes The last in this trilogy of prequels to the 1968 classic finds the apes and humans in a struggle for survival, in this low-key, thinking-person’s action movie, which concludes the series in a satisfying and intelligent way. Rated PG-13. 140 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Wind River Taylor Sheridan wrote and directed this crime drama, about the FBI investigating a murder on an Indian reservation. The story is conventional, but the setting and the treatment — with its emphasis on the snowy location and the specifics of the culture — turn this into an interesting and satisfying experience. Rated R. 107 minutes.—M.LaSalle

Wonder Woman This is a different kind of comic book movie, with a sense of history and purpose, featuring a star-making performance by Gal Gadot in the title role. Co-starring Chris Pine and directed by Patty Jenkins (“Monster”). Rated PG-13. 141 minutes.—M.LaSalle